


Here Comes Tomorrow

by dadsBBQparty



Category: Heavy Rain
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Drug Addiction, Drug Withdrawal, Hospitals, M/M, Northan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-20 11:09:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14893493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dadsBBQparty/pseuds/dadsBBQparty
Summary: Norman Jayden was the first one to find Shaun Mars. It wasn't supposed to be him. It was supposed to be Ethan Mars holding his son. After all he went through, he should have been the first one Shaun saw. He needed to be there.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm hoping I can get back on the train of writing regularly. It's an idea I've been sitting on for a while. I didn't have anyone to proofread, so here's to hoping it's find that way. Enjoy!

Ethan Mars was innocent. Norman knew this in his gut, and he loathed the relief he felt as the Origami Killer drew his gun on him. Ethan Mars was completely innocent. 

In this position, he felt alone. Even with Shaun beside him, he felt a dreaded sense of emptiness. The most twisted thought in his head was that he knew he was taking Ethan’s place. It was supposed to be Ethan holding his son, not him. 

Where the hell was Ethan? He assumed Ethan would have been here by now. 

Shaun was breathing, but he had fallen back asleep. As if he wasn’t worried enough about the kid, the gun wasn’t helping the cause at all. Any wrong move could take his or Shaun’s life.

“You shouldn't have gotten mixed up in this!”

He blew hot air out of nose, looking straight at the murderer. He was weak from being kicked, but adrenaline was keeping him up. He nearly understood the drive that caused Ethan to destroy himself for his son. Channelling his attention into protecting Shaun, he was able to knock the gun out of his hands. That was the last straw before the killer ran away. 

Norman glanced at Shaun. He was stable, and the brief moment to confirm that forced a rush of belief through his body. 

“A-Are you alright, Shaun?” It almost felt pointless to ask at this point. What was the boy supposed to say? Absolutely peachy? 

“Yes…” he forced out. “I think so… Where's dad?” the boy asked him, his eyes focusing on Norman as he knelt beside him. 

Norman pursed his lips at the question, keeping his mouth shut as he stood up. Shaun was safe. He was also feeling well enough to talk to him. Although, this relief was short-lived as he had to chase after the Origami Killer, making sure he made a phone-call before he ran off.

\------

How he got down from the conveyor belt was a mystery to him. Bruised was an understatement. The Origami Killer was dead, and Shaun Mars was going to be alright. As he trudging down, he felt as if he was going to collapse onto the cement. Probably wouldn't be as painful as some of the other things he was experiencing. 

“Norman Jayden?” 

Norman looked from his feet to the sunken face of a father, his son clutched in his arms as if he was holding onto a dove that may fly away. Damn fucking straight. It was about time Ethan Mars held his son. 

With energy Norman was shocked to have, he dashed towards the the other man who had come to the rescue. His arms wrapped around both father and son. Ethan was taken aback, nearly topplying backwards as Norman’s arms held him. 

“H-Hold on,” Ethan whispered to him, struggling from his grip before Norman pulled himself away from him. He knelt down to set Shaun down, resting beside him as Norman fell to his knees. Shaun held Ethan’s hand, and Ethan held it as though he never planned on letting go. 

“E-Ethan, you didn’t answer my phone call, and I was terrified you were going to die…” Norman said, shaking his head slightly before looking up at Ethan’s worn face. . “What would I have done if you died? What would Shaun have done if you-” 

“Agent Jayden, stop…” Ethan said, his brows knitted with worried. He glanced at his son, asleep but breathing, and he looked back at the FBI agent in front of him. “I didn’t die… I didn’t die… I-” He shook his head as Norman’s eyes stuck on them. Both of them, sunken and tired. It would be nice to finally get the sleep after these terrible past few days. 

“I can’t even pretend to understand what you did for your son… I knew you needed to be the one with him, and…”

“You might get fired-” 

“I don’t care, Ethan… They were going to cut me anyways and let a kid die, and they were going to frame an innocent man. I’m just so happy that you and Shaun are okay…” Norman shifted closer to him, placing a hand on the other man’s cheek. Ethan’s eyes shifted towards Norman’s. “I don’t know what I would have done with myself if you or Shaun died.” 

As their lips touched, Norman felt his shoulders begin to drop. Ethan Mars had his hand on his shoulder, and he was returning the kiss. Norman held him closely, trembling under his touch. He wanted this so bad. He had never met a man as amazing as Ethan Mars, and the terror could be behind him. Norman had been kissed before of course, but nothing made him feel as blissfully weak as this. 

“... Ew, dad… Kissing’s gross…” Shaun whispered, breaking the two men from their kiss. The smile on Ethan’s face was indescribable. 

“Sorry, Shaun… I-It was unexpected…” he said as his son let out a small, muffled laugh. He glanced up at Norman, the grin dissipating from his face. “Jayden, are you…”

Norman quickly covered up his hands, his face falling. Withdrawal. The shaking wasn't from Ethan, and he was hoping he could have played it off as such. He had done his best to keep himself from the triptocaine the past few days. His vision was blurring, and it was hitting him fast. It must have been hitting him before this moment, but as he drifted back to reality it was harder and harder to stay there. He needed to leave before he spilled something important. 

“I-I’m sorry, Ethan… I have to leave… The police are outside… Leave with Shaun in your arms and they won’t shoot.” 

“Jayden-”

“Norman, call me Norman,” he replied as he held his wrist. “It’s just the stress of the situation catching up to me. Take care of Shaun in the meantime, and I'll…” As he tried to stand up, his foot buckled beneath him just as quickly. Ethan finally let go of his son’s hand to catch Norman. 

“You're too exhausted to stand up…” 

“Yeah…” Norman whispered. As he tried to move again, it was unsuccessful. He wished he had water to splash on his face. He didn't want to admit to anyone he was just a fucking junkie. “I…”


	2. Chapter 2

A glaring white was all that filled Norman’s frame of sight. Was that it? Had he finally ended his abuse? His eyes narrowed as his lip dared to quiver at the thought. He had just managed to save Shaun Mars. How fitting for this to be the outcome. 

“Dad, he's awake…!” 

Norman forced his head to the side to look in the direction of the voice. A small boy in a grey jacket in front of a window that framed the pouring rain outside. He couldn't have been dead. This shouldn't be a simulation. He must have been in the hospital. 

“Shaun Mars, what are you doin’ here…?” he asked, a melancholic smile starting to form on his dry lips. Living proof that Shaun Mars was out of danger. That was what he was fighting for. The boy stood up from his chair and walked over to him, a smile on his lips. 

“Thank you for saving me, Mr. FBI,” he said with a small laugh as he attempted to hide his nervousness. Norman had a feeling Ethan made a point of telling him to thank him. 

“There's no need,” he said quietly. Norman tried to push himself up from the lying position he was in, wincing at the pain near his chest. The look on Shaun’s face was concern until Norman held out his arms. Shaun welcomed the gesture, wrapping his arms around Norman firmly. 

There was the sound of a door opening, and Ethan Mars stepped out of the bathroom in the corner with a grin on his lips. “It's glad to see you're okay…” 

The smile on Norman’s face faded. “I'm in the hospital. Why?” he asked him softly as Shaun let go of him. 

“... Exhaustion made you pass out. You gave all your energy on the fight with the killer. You also had a broken rib from being kicked,” he told him calmly.

“S-So… yeah, exhaustion. I was tired, and-”

Ethan took a seat on the bed, gesturing at Shaun. “Go pick up two cookies, Shaun. Okay?” 

“Okay,” Shaun said with a smile before bolting out the room. 

“E-Ethan, is he going to be-” 

“He's fine,” Ethan whispered, looking over at him. His dark circles hadn't improved. “His mom's out there now. He was going to be with her for the night so I could finally sleep knowing he was in safe hands.” 

Norman's head was spinning at all the questions he had to ask. “I-I’m glad you're both here, and I'm glad about, well, uh, I- I passed out you're saying, and-” 

Ethan looked around as if he was checking that they were somewhere private. He let out a deep sigh and scooted closer to Norman before pulling out a blue vial from the pocket of his jacket, showing it to Norman. “This fell out of your pocket. I'm not stupid…” His thumb cautiously ran down the vial. “I know what caused you to pass out. I also knew if your higher ups knew about it, you'd be so fucked over. I hung onto it to protect you.” 

“Ethan, I can… I can explain,” Norman whispered. His voice was hoarse. “I'm not just a ju-” 

“Norman, I am the last person to care about that. Do you really think I've never done anything similar? I've done stupid shit. I just wanted to make sure you were okay…” 

“How-How did you know to hide this?” Norman asked him quietly. 

“A gut feeling… something felt off,” Ethan admitted reluctantly. Norman let out a sigh, taking the vial from his hands. “Are you okay? What is it?” 

“I'm fine,” Norman lied to him, looking up at him. His eyes quickly darted from the translucent blue powder in the vial before he looked up at Ethan. It was time he found his strength. “Flush it.” 

“N-Norman, are you-” 

“Before I change my mind,” Norman pleaded, dropping the vial in Ethan’s hands. He looked away in shame as the older man stood up to discard the contents of the tube. He felt as though he only had time to exhale and inhale before Ethan was back at his side. He must have been closer than before, because Norman was sure he could feel all of his small movements. “How have you been holding up?” Norman asked him quietly. 

“I've been better, but I'm not the worst I've been,” Ethan answered him softly. “I'm worried about Shaun, but he's handled some pretty bad things in the past. I'm just so relieved he's safe.” 

“Me too,” Norman whispered with a half smile on his lips. “I'm glad nothing happened to you either.” 

“Thank you for… helping me escape,” Ethan said with a small laugh. 

“I feel bad you never… got to Shaun’s location,” Norman whispered. “By the time you were there, the killer was dead…” He gripped his arm, closing his eyes. “I'm glad it's over, but I took three lives with this case…” 

“He wanted me to kill another father to save my son,” Ethan admitted to him. Norman furrowed his brow. 

“I'm a cop, so please tell me you didn't,” Norman pleaded, his mouth going dry at the look Ethan gave him. 

“I trust you, Norman. I trust you enough to tell you I would have done anything for my son…” Tears were pooling in his eyes. “Except…” 

“Except what?” Norman asked softly. He placed a hand on Ethan’s shoulder, watching as the older man leaned against his touch. 

“He wanted to make me take poison. I would have sixty minutes to find Shaun after that… I never showed up, because I never took the poison. I'm such a fucking awful dad. If you wouldn't have been there, he would have been dead. I ended up at a restaurant. A fucking restaurant. How am I supposed to save my son there?” Ethan blurted, hugging himself as he leaned against Norman’s chest. It ached to have someone so close to his broken bones, but Norman knew Ethan was hurting far too much to be pushed aside. He knew Ethan was in far worse physical pain too. 

“I know you're sick of hearing this, but none of what happened is your fault, Ethan… You even cut off your fucking finger for your son. You were there for him. He knows everything you did for him…” he said gently, wrapping both of his arms around Ethan’s body. He set his cheek on the top of his head. He smelled so nice. He smelled like cheap shampoo, but Norman longed since the moment he met him in the police station to be this close to him. How twisted of him to fall for a man in such dire circumstances, but he couldn't lie to his heart. “Shaun knows.” 

Ethan didn't reply to him, instead he stayed quiet in his arms. Norman could hear him breathing. “Keep everything we said today off the record,” he said moments later, relaxing in his embrace. 

“I wouldn't put any of this on record… This is between you and me…” he told him. “I wouldn't want some of the stuff about me on the record.” He exhaled deeply and closed his eyes. “I need to confess something to you, Ethan Mars.” 

Ethan sat up slightly, turning to look at Norman. When he opened his eyes, all he could see was those bright blue diamonds. Each time he looked at him, his heart melted. 

“I've been…” Norman sighed. “I feel disgusting. The moment I saw you come into the department to report Shaun had gone missing…” He pursed his lips, weaving his fingers together. “I fell for you. I saw you and my heart leapt a mile. It was the most inappropriate time to have that kind of feeling, but somethin’ about you tugged on my heart. I wanted to make sure both you and Shaun were safe, but it felt selfish. E-Ethan, I’m sor-” 

Ethan’s lips had silenced him. His eyes closed immediately as his hand reached out to the back of Ethan’s head to feel his freshly washed hair. His prickly chin was scratching on Norman’s, and he didn't want it to stop. He was fucking in love with Ethan Mars, and he couldn't make his heart settle down. He could feel his breath on the top of his lip. The warmth made his entire face heat up. 

As Ethan pulled away, he felt cold yet comfortable. A smile tugged on his lips as Ethan looked at him. “Who fucking cares about your motives. You hauled your ass trying to save my son, and who knows what I would have done without you…” 

“I would do it again if I had to,” Norman whispered to him, letting Ethan hug him. He buried his face against his shoulder. “I'm glad I could finally help someone save the person most important to them…” 

“You know all about me,” Ethan sighed. “Probably even things I don't know… What happened to you?” 

The question ripped the smile off Norman’s face. It wasn't something he enjoyed telling people about, but it was only fair. 

“I lost my sister when I was fifteen,” Norman whispered to him as his hands tightened around each other. It couldn't have been as hard as losing a son, but the thought of it was still hard to bear. “She was fifteen months older than me, and she started dating this guy who just fuckin’ sucked. I decided to pretend I wasn't home and I hid the cabinet by the front door one night when she seemed really anxious. I knew they weren't gonna touch it. He came in, acted all nice and then I heard her screaming. He pulled a fuckin’ gun on her because she told him she didn't want to really hang out that night.” He pursed his lips, unable to look Ethan in the eye. “I tried to be heroic. I had this glass vase, you know. I opened up the cabinet and tried to get the jump on him, but…” Norman was silent for a moment, and Ethan’s face showed he already knew what happened. “He already shot the gun before I even got his attention. I screamed and smacked him with it as hard as I could, knockin’ him out but when I finally got to my sister, she wasn't breathing…” 

Ethan placed his hand on Norman’s knee, but the younger man didn't give a response to it. “Someone called the police after hearing the gunshot, and I heard the sirens coming up, and as the footsteps came to the door that asshole chucked one of the pieces of glass right in my cheek,” he admitted to him, pointing to the scar on his face. “I needed stitches on it, and…” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, this is more than you asked.” 

“No, it's fine,” Ethan said to him quietly. 

“Every day I just think… if I was just a little faster, she might be here today,” Norman said. 

“I think the same damn thing everyday too,” Ethan sighed. All Norman could do was nod his head. 

Ethan gripped Norman’s hand, and the frown disappeared from his face. What was it about Ethan that could erase so much pain from his heart? He wanted to kiss him again. He wanted to kiss him and never let go. He leaned closer to him, and Ethan didn't move away. 

Someone was knocking on the door, and Ethan jerked himself away from him. Before Norman could say anything, the door opened and in a matter of seconds all of the bliss he was feeling was wiped away. 

“Carter, didn't your mom teach you about fucking barging into the room?” Norman groaned. 

“The kid just told me you were awake, and we still gotta talk about some stuff to tie up the loose ends, Norman,” Carter replied, walking into the room with his arms folded. “We still got mountains of paperwork, and I couldn't get much of it done with my _partner_ sleeping.”

“Yeah,” Norman sighed, taking his hand away and placing his head in both of his hands as though he was getting a headache. 

“Can you leave us alone for a while?” Carter asked, narrowing his eyes towards Ethan. 

“Y-Yeah,” Ethan replied. “I should probably head out anyways. Glad to see you're okay, Agent Jayden.” 

“Thank you,” Norman said. “I'll check in with you later.” 

Ethan smiled at him before he left the room, leaving Norman with his absolute most favorite person in the entire world who looked just about as happy as he felt. 

“I take it you don't still think Ethan Mars is the killer,” Norman said after the door shut watching Carter roll his eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

Norman checked his watch before he glanced up at the brown door in front of him. He shouldn't have been this nervous. It was silly. This made him more nervous than being alone in the room with a convicted serial killer in his previous cases. 

He glanced down the hallway. A window was the source of most of the light as it pooled into the third story. He inhaled and closed his eyes, but the door swung open which didn't give him much time to collect himself. 

“Norman?” 

Norman glanced at the shorter man, an uncomfortable smile on his face as though he didn't belong here. “Ethan Mars,” he muttered. 

“Come in,” Ethan said, stepping aside from the door as Norman stepped inside the apartment. It was brighter than the last two places Ethan lived in. “Is that red wine?” 

“Yeah,” Norman said, handing the bottle to the other man. “Think of it as a housewarming gift. It also must be nice to have north facing windows in your apartment,” Norman said, taking his jacket off his shoulders. “You'll have a nice view too when it starts snowing…” 

How awkward could he have possibly made this situation? 

“The new place looks nice,” Norman said awkwardly as he turned his head towards the kitchen. He cocked a brow at the stove, noticing nothing had gotten started. “Would you like my help?” he asked as Ethan took his coat from his arms, hanging it up beside the door. 

Ethan sighed to himself as he shrugged his shoulders. “I-I know I invited you over, but I’m not much of a cook. I was hoping you’d be late so I could order something and tell you I cooked it.” 

“Lie to the FBI,” Norman said, nodding his head as he walked towards the kitchen. “And I left early- traffic. Next time I'll make sure I'm late.” It was a joke, but no one was laughing. 

As excited Norman was to be in Ethan Mars’ apartment, he couldn’t shake the gitters. After the case of the Origami Killer was solved, he lost contact with Ethan for what felt like eons. This night would have been sooner, but Norman realized how inappropriate it would have been if his director found out he was having personal conversations with a past suspect while the case was open.

The waiting was painful, but he hoped it was worth it. The paperwork had finally finished the day prior, and here he was, finally about to spend time with Ethan alone. It was Ethan’s idea to meet at his apartment. He told him he wasn’t comfortable somewhere with a crowd, and, well, while Norman wished he could flaunt who he was out with, he wasn’t opposed to this. 

“I wish you would have told me. I drove past the grocery store on my way here from work. I could have picked up something… like brownies or cake,” he joked as he looked over what Ethan had pulled out from his fridge and cabinets. “You have chicken, pasta, tomatoes, mushrooms… Oh my god, Ethan. I think I know what you were trying to do, but…”

“I’ve never been a cook,” Ethan laughed. “The most cooking I do is frozen pizza… I also didn’t know you could cook.” 

“I’m a single guy, and-” Norman pursed his lips. “That’s not a good reason. You’ve been in the same boat. I dunno, it was cheaper when I had the apartment in college.” 

“I just scrounged every penny and ordered something that made me feel like garbage for the week,” Ethan joked, looking around the kitchen. “I wanted to make spaghetti with red sauce-” 

“Alright,” Norman said to him. It was an awful choice for a first ‘date’, terribly messy, but it the perfect choice for the two of them. 

Norman wasn’t sure if Ethan had ever seen spaghetti in his life. Eventually, it turned into Ethan reading the recipe out loud in between random news articles while Norman took care of it. Compromises had to be made, such as the cumin that Norman wasn’t quite sure the reasoning Ethan had for it being out of his cabinet. 

Eventually the two of them sat down at the table as Ethan poured the red wine in their glasses. Norman laughed softly as he spilled some of it on the table, reaching over to one of the napkins to wipe it off before it stained the table. “I should have gotten you a tablecloth instead so you don't stain your table.”0

“Shaun uses them as a napkin. I had a few, but-” He shrugged his shoulders, noticing Norman knew exactly what he was talking about by the snicker he made. “Why are you… still here, Norman?” Ethan finally asked. Norman knew that that question must have have the tip of his tongue for the entire night. 

“I got put on a case,” Norman told him softly. “Philadelphia is a … terrible city,” he laughed as he glanced up at Ethan. Thankfully, the other man knew he was only teasing. “There's another case that hadn't been solved. Some guy who kills blonde girls- strippers, prostitutes… anyways, he slits their wrists, hangs them upside down then dumps them in an ally with three of their teeth missing.” 

Ethan’s face made it clear that this wasn't a dinner topic. 

“Sorry,” Norman smiled. “Anyways, I don't know. There hadn't been a murder in a while, but the killer hasn't been cau-” 

“You asked to be put on the case so you could stay here longer,” Ethan interrupted. 

“Why would I do that?” Norman replied, a smug look on his face while Ethan rolled his eyes. 

“How much longer?” Ethan asked, looking down at his food. 

“Indefinitely,” Norman answered before taking another bite of the food. “Could be a week, could be a year.” 

“Forever?” 

“Maybe,” Norman answered. He paused for a moment, looking up at Ethan then back down at his food. “Should I retire?” he asked softly. 

“Why?” Ethan asked, his brow furrowed. 

Norman set down his fork. “It's always the same. I get sent to some city, I get pushed around by the local cops because they think I'm stealing their jobs, sometimes I find the killer, sometimes it… doesn't work.” 

“You don't want the same routine?” Ethan asked softly. 

“I don't want…” Norman sighed, pursing his lips. “After this case, I really saw how terrible cops are. What was the fuckin’ point of having me on the case if they're not going to listen to a word I say? I say you're not the killer, you don't fit the psychological profiles and they continue to pursue you… It was fuckin’ awful. I would have gotten arrested for some of the shit I did to find the truth if I would have been caught. I don't want to do this again.” 

“I want this all behind us,” Ethan said softly. 

“Me too. So I think I should retire… maybe I can go to law school instead and be a public defender. I’d get more shit done, and I wouldn't have to move around. I could actually do something about these fuckin’ shit cops like Carter Blake and defend the people who got treated like you did.” 

“Sounds like you've been thinking about it,” Ethan replied. 

“I have,” Norman said, frowning. 

“Then do it,” Ethan replied, making the smile appear on Norman’s face again. 

“I'm going to retire after this case then. What do you think, should I stay in Philadelphia?” Norman asked. 

“Yeah. I think that would make Shaun ecstatic too,” Ethan replied, reaching out a hand which Norman took, resting on the table. “What's your actual home like?” 

“I don't have one,” Norman laughed, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head. “It's just motel, motel, motel, motel. I stay with my mom when I’m in DC, since I'm only there a few weeks at a time.” 

“Awfully cheery for a thirty year old who probably lives in his mom’s basement,” Ethan replied, mimicking his laughter. 

“I live in the attic,” Norman corrected, snickering as he tried to defend himself. “With my… cat, oh my god, I'm a crazy cat person!” 

“You really sound like one,” Ethan said. “You know, I really would like if you stayed in Philadelphia. Maybe you should start applying to some law schools with that plan.” 

“I have,” Norman said sheepishly. “Around the country, but… I have had my eye on one nearby. I just wanted to have someone else say something, so I didn't feel crazy… I…” He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. Not right now. He pulled his hand away from Ethan’s, gripping his wrist tightly. 

“N-Norman, are you alright?” Ethan asked, instinctively standing up. Norman furrowed his brow. 

“I-I’m-” He stood up from his seat, his legs shaking. “I’m sorry, Ethan,” he whispered. “I…” He glanced around the apartment before he headed for the bathroom as quickly as he could, Ethan following him in case something happened. 

He leaned into the sink, splashing his face with the running water. He could hear that Ethan was in the room, but when he glanced over it was a different room. The warehouse. Ethan wasn't in sight. 

He crashed onto the floor, rubbing his eyes desperately. This again, and at such a bad time. Why couldn't he just have a normal night? 

“I'm sorry,” he whispered, hugging himself. He could finally see Ethan as the older man stepped closer to him, kneeling down to his side. He took his hand, pulling it away from his face. “I'm sorry you lost your finger… I'm sorry you had to do… so many things because I wasn't aware enough to stop it… I'm sorry you weren't there to be the first to hold Shaun, I'm sorry, Ethan…” 

“Can you see me?” Ethan asked softly. “Clearly?” 

“Only you,” Norman admitted to him, fighting tears back as he looked at him. “I'm sorry our date is ending this way, I…” 

“It's not over,” Ethan whispered, pulling Norman closer and wrapping his arms around him. 

“We're in the warehouse,” Norman said shakily, returning the gesture as he shook underneath him. “I can't… stop reliving this moment. I see Shaun in the grate, but he's calling for you, Ethan. He's begging for you…” 

“He's safe. He's at his mom’s. I can call him soon if you'd like…” Ethan said, placing a hand on the back of Norman’s head. “Keep your eyes closed. It'll pass.” 

“This is so annoying,” Norman sobbed in his shoulders. “I used to just have these… when I finished using ARI, and now I can't pinpoint when they hit. They're worse and worse… you shouldn't have to deal with this…” 

“It makes me… feel better, actually…” Ethan whispered. “It's good to know you're human, Norman.” 

“I think these feelings are closer to being a robot than anything else, living in a simulation…” 

“No,” Ethan said. “Not that. The fact you feel… I feel the same thing every night. I have night terrors of losing Jason. Sometimes, I wake up screaming. Grace couldn't handle it. Even now, if I see a crowd, I cower and hyperventilate… I scream. I thought- it's wrong- no one could ever… tolerate me because of that.” 

“I don't know how you couldn't suffer PTSD from that,” Norman whispered, clinging to him as the dizziness hit him harder. 

“It's… worse than that,” Ethan whispered. 

“I know. Blake beat it out of your psychiatrist…” Norman admitted to him. “We mistreated you so terribly…” 

“It's alright,” Ethan whispered to him. “I'm just glad Shaun is safe. That doesn't matter. The reason I'm telling you this is because that won't scare me away from you. I just hope we both never feel like this at the same time, because who will take care of us?” 

Norman let out a small laugh at the joke, hesitantly starting to let go of him. Without opening his eyes, he wiped the sweat from his face with his hands, letting out a heavy sigh. “Call Shaun… please.” 

Ethan complied with the request, pulling his phone out of his back pocket. He dialed Shaun’s number, speaking with Grace momentarily before she handed the line to their son. Ethan put it on speakerphone, it out so Norman could speak if he wished to do so. 

“I miss you, Shaun,” he started, making the boy on the other end laugh. 

“You just saw me earlier today, dad,” he replied. 

“I know. I wanted to call you before you went to sleep. It's almost bedtime. I have Mr. Agent Jayden here with me, too. He wanted to say goodnight too.” Ethan leaned against the wall, pulling Norman beside him to keep him stable. 

“What's he doing there?” Shaun asked. 

“Just hanging out with me,” Ethan answered him. “I needed company. It's too quiet when you're not here.” 

“How was school today?” Norman asked into the phone. Ethan could tell he was doing his best to pretend nothing was wrong, and he assumed it was working, because Norman had been sitting up on his own. His eyes were still closed with his hand blocking them. 

“It was good… kind of. I'm not behind on homework, but… I have more homework to do by Monday.” 

“That's the unfortunate thing with school,” Norman replied. “It never ends. I went to school for four extra years, isn't that goofy?”

“So did dad,” Shaun said with a snicker. “Five years, actually.” 

“Would you call me crazy if I told you I'm going for more school soon?” Norman replied, resting his head on Ethan’s shoulder. 

“Yes!” 

“I'm going to,” Norman said, laughing slightly. “We can complain about homework together then.” Ethan ran his hand through Norman’s hair. 

“You're weird,” Shaun giggled. 

“Agent Jayden’s also staying in this city,” Ethan blurted, making Norman finally open his eyes with his mouth open. 

‘Nothing is official,’ he mouthed in a panic. 

‘It is now,’ Ethan mouthed in reply as Shaun let out a cheer. 

“Is he going to sleep on the couch?” Shaun asked them. 

“N-No, he'll probably be… in his own home,” Ethan answered sheepishly. 

‘Or in your bed,’ Norman replied, sticking his tongue out with a grin at the flustered look on Ethan’s face. 

“That's good anyways,” Shaun said. “I'm glad he's staying!” 

“I am too,” Norman replied. 

“I have to go to bed now,” Shaun whined into the phone. “Mom wants me off.” 

“Listen to your mother,” Ethan replied before blowing a kiss into the phone. “Bye. Night night.” 

“Night. Goodnight, Agent Jayden!” 

“Goodnight,” Norman replied before he heard the click of the call ending. 

“Do you feel better now?” Ethan asked, pulling him closer to press a kiss against Norman’s lips. 

“For now,” the younger man replied, kissing him back. “Thank you, Ethan.” 

He pressed his lips against Ethan’s again, taking his hand gently and running his finger across it. He pulled away to hug Ethan again, ignoring the fact they were still on his bathroom floor. He loved Ethan Mars, and he knew Ethan loved him back even if they never said it.


End file.
